Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; Western Pacific Bottomfish Fishery; Fishing Moratorium

NMFS is extending the current moratorium on harvesting seamount groundfish from the Hancock Seamount in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands until August 31, 2004. The fishery has been under a moratorium since 1986. This action is being taken in response to a recommendation by the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council), which heard reports from its Bottomfish Plan Team and Scientific and Statistical Committee that revealed that armorhead (Pentaceros richardsoni), an overfished seamount species, has not recovered. The intent of this action is to allow the protection provided for this resource to continue.